The Little War is a name^[2] given to a series of conflicts between the Habsburgs and their allies and the Ottoman Empire between 1529 after Vienna until the end of the Siege of Eger. The war saw both sides suffering heavy casualties with the result that campaigning in Hungary would cease until 1566. Combatants Habsburg Dynasty including: Habsburg Spain Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Austrian Empire Non-Habsburg Allies: Tsardom of Russia Holy League Allies: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Republic of Venice Ottoman Turks Barbary States (Under Ottoman Protection) Crimean Khanate The Ottoman-Habsburg wars refers to the conflicts between the Ottoman Empire... This article explains the more well known Battle of Mohacs of 1526. ... Combatants Austria Ottoman Turks Commanders Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor John Szapolyai Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties unknown unknown Following the Battle of Mohacs the Ottomans were forced to withdraw as events elsewhere in their now massive Empire required the Sultans attention[1] Seizing upon their absence was Ferdinand I... Combatants Austria Ottoman Turks Commanders Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor John Szapolyai Suleiman the Magnificent Strength Unknown, 16,000 reserve troops in Vienna[1] Over 120,000 soldiers[2] Casualties Unknown Unknown Following Ferdinand Is daring assault on Ottoman Hungary, Suleiman launched a campaign to take the Austrian capital... // Combatants Austria with Bohemian, German & Spanish mercenaries Ottoman Empire Commanders Nicholas, Graf von Salm Suleiman I Strength over 16,000 [1] 120,000 [1] Casualties Unknown Unknown The Siege of Vienna of 1529, as distinct from the Battle of Vienna in 1683, was the Ottoman Empires first attempt to... The naval Battle of Preveza took place on 28 September 1538 near Preveza in northwest Greece and was an important victory for an Ottoman fleet commanded by Khair ad Din (Barbarossa) over a Spanish-Venetian fleet commanded by the great Genoese admiral Andrea Doria fleet despite the allies having a... Combatants Austria Ottoman Turks Commanders Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor Captain Nikola JuriÅ¡ić John Szapolyai Suleiman the Magnificent Strength Unknown Over 120,000 soldiers[1] Casualties Unknown, heavy Unknown, heavy The Little War is a name[2] given to a series of conflicts between the Habsburgs and their allies... // Combatants Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Commanders Ahmed Pasha István Dobó Strength Between 150,000 and 200,000 Approx 2,100, including civilians The Siege of Eger occurred in 1552 during the 16th Century Ottoman Wars in Europe It was a major Hungarian victory after a series of crushing... The Battle of Szigetvar was a monumental battle in the small fort of Szigetvár in Hungary in 1566 between the defending forces of the Kingdom of Hungary under the leadership of Croatian ban Miklós Zrinyi, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. ... // Combatants Holy League: Spain  Republic of Venice Papal States Republic of Genoa Duchy of Savoy Knights of Malta Ottoman Empire Commanders Don John of Austria Ali Pasha † Strength 206 galleys, 6 galleasses 230 galleys, 56 galliots Casualties 8,000 dead or wounded, 12 galleys lost 20,000 dead or wounded... Combatants Ottoman Empire [1] Habsburg Austria Transylvania Commanders Mehmed III Archduke Maximilian Sigismund of Transylvania Strength ~150,000 at least 43 cannon ~50,000 including ~5,000 cavalry 97 cannon Casualties Unknown ~ 30,000 [1] The Battle of Keresztes or Battle of Mezokeresztes (MezÅ‘keresztes) took place on October 24... // Combatants Austria, Holy Roman Empire, League of the Rhine, France Ottoman Empire Commanders Raimondo Montecuccoli, Leopold Wilhelm of Baden-Baden, Count Coligny Ahmed Köprülü Strength ~ 40,000 including Imperial and French troops [1] ~ 60,000 Casualties Minimal 10,000 The Battle of Saint Gotthard (Hungarian: ) was fought on... Combatants Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Bavaria Ottoman Empire Commanders Duke of Lorraine Maximilian II Emanuel Süleyman PaÅŸa† (Grand Vizier) Strength 60,000[1] 40,000 Mameluk slaves, 40,000 Balkan mercenaries and 800 Ottoman Turks Casualties 15,000-18,000 killed or wounded ~40,000 killed or wounded The... Combatants Austria Ottoman Empire Commanders Prince Eugene of Savoy Sultan Mustafa II Strength 34,000 infantry, 16,000 cavalry, 60 guns above 80,000 Casualties 500 (2) 30,000 (2) The Battle of Zenta or Battle of Senta, fought on September 11, 1697 just south of modern Serbian town of... Combatants Austria Ottoman Empire Commanders Prince Eugene of Savoy Damad Ali † Strength cca 90,000 120,000-190,000 Casualties 5,000 10,000-30,000 The Battle of Petrovaradin was a decisive victory for Austrian forces in the war between Austria and the Ottoman Empire (1716–1718), at Petrovaradin... // Combatants Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Commanders Ahmed Pasha István Dobó Strength Between 150,000 and 200,000 Approx 2,100, including civilians The Siege of Eger occurred in 1552 during the 16th Century Ottoman Wars in Europe It was a major Hungarian victory after a series of crushing...

Austrian counter

Following Suleiman's unsuccessful Siege of Vienna in 1529, Ferdinand I laucnhed a counter-attack in 1530 to regain the initiative and avenge the destruction brought by Suleiman's 120,000 strong army. An assault of Buda was driven of by John Svapolyai, the vassal King of Hungary but Ferdinand was successful esewhere, capturing Gran and other forts along the Danube river, a vital strategic frontier.

Siege of Koszeg

Suleiman's response came in 1532 when he led a massive army of over 120,000 troops to besieg Vienna. Ferdinand withdrew his army, leaving only 700 men with no cannon and few guns to defend Koszeg.^[3] The Grand Vizier of the Ottomans, Ibrahim Pasha did not realize how poorly defended Koszeg was; in fact Constantinople in 1453 stood a better chance. Nonetheless, thanks to brave leadership by Captain Nikola Jurišić the city fought off every assault. As a result, the city was offered terms; the garrison was spared in return for the surrender of the city. With the city secured the Ottomans withdrew at the arrival of the August rains.^[4] Combatants Byzantine Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Constantine XI† Loukas Notaras Giovanni Giustiniani†[1] Mehmed II Strength 7,000[2] 80,000[1]-200,000[1][3] Casualties 4,000 dead[4] 10,000 civilian dead[5][6] - The Fall of Constantinople refers to the capture of the Byzantine capital by...

Peace and War

A peace treay was signed between Ferdinand and Suleiman. John Szaipolya was recognized as King of Hungary as an Ottoman vassal. However, the Ottomans recognized the land under Habsburg rule in Hungary. ^[5]

Siege of Osijek

This treaty did not satisfy John Szapolyai or Ferdinand whose armies began to skirmish along the borders. Ferdinand decided to strike a decisive blow in 1537 at John by sending his "ablest" Generals^[6] to take Osijek, thereby violating the treaty. The siege was a disaster of similar magnitude to that of Mohacs with an Ottoman relief army smashing the Austrians. ^[7]. However, rather than attack Vienna again, Suleiman sent an army of 8,000 light Cavalry to attack Otranto the same year. The troops were withdrawn from Italy after an expected French invasion designed to coordinate with Ottoman efforts failed to materialize. Nontheless, an Ottoman victory at the naval Battle of Preveza gave the Habsburgs another defeat. This article explains the more well known Battle of Mohacs of 1526. ...

A further humiliating defeat was inflicted on the Habsburgs in 1541. John Szapolyai had died in 1540 and his son was only a few weeks old^[8]. An Austrian attack on Buda followed the news of the death of John but the appeals of John's widow to Suleiman were not unanswered and in 1541 the elderly General Rogendorf was defeated outside of Buda, before he could even cross the Danube to take it.

Campaign of Suleiman (1543)

In April 1543 Suleiman launched another campaign in Hungary, bringing back ran and other forts so that much of Hungary was under Ottoman control. A peace agreement lasted between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans until 1552, when Suleiman decided to attack Eger. The assault was futile; town locals attribute the victory to the constant stream of "bull's blood" (wine) supplied to them by the women. The Habsburg victory at Eger came after a period of great losses in Hungary and the survival of Eger gave the Austrians good reason to believe that Hungary was still a contested ground.

Aftermath

Suleiman made one more attack on Hungary in 1566 believing that a victory there might give him the happiness he needed in his old age. He was far too old to campaign and although he had died, his campaign was successful in taking much land from the Austrians in Hungay and inflicting many defeats.

References

• Turnbull, Stephen. The Ottoman Empire 1326 - 1699. New York: Osprey, 2003.

Notes